Canada

Column: The View from Pagan Meet and Greet at PWR

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Pagan Perspectives
Guest columnist Karen Dales attended the Parliament of World Religions and shares her view from the Pagan Meet and Greet Booth. * * *
The Promise of Inclusion, the Power of Love, was the theme of the Parliament of World’s Religions (PWR), held in Toronto, Canada from November 1st – 7th, 2018. This theme thread its way through the Pagan community doubly so. Its eye found in the Meet and Greet Space, given to the Pagans by the PWR after local High Priestess and Toronto Steering Committee Member, Catherine Starr, fought tooth and nail to secure the Pagans four spaces: a Pagan Faith Booth; a Pagan Faith space, which was for morning meditations and evening rituals, facilitated by many Pagans and Pagan organisations; the Pagan Family Festival Booth, and the Pagan Meet and Greet Space. The Pagan Meet and Greet Space could not have been better placed, as an estimated ten thousand people at the PWR had to walk past the very distinct chalkboard declaring the space and listing daily Pagan events.

Canada

Canada Set to Remove Witchcraft Laws as Arrests Made

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TORONTO —  The York Regional Police #4 District Criminal Investigations Bureau reported on October 25, 2018 that, Samantha Stevenson, alias Evanna Lopez, was arrested and charged before the Ontario Court of Justice in Newmarket with falsely practicing Witchcraft for allegedly attempting to swindle an elderly victim. The investigation began in November of 2017 and continued until the arrest. The York Regional Police report claims that that the victim lost over $600,000 in an effort to rid himself of evil spirits.  

The York Regional Police made clear in their statement that,
The offence of Pretending to Practice Witchcraft, under the Criminal Code of Canada, specifically deals with individuals who fraudulently portray themselves as having fortune-telling abilities or pretend to use witchcraft, sorcery, enchantment or conjuration in order to obtain money or valuables from a victim. This charge is not connected in any way to any religion.

Canada

Recreational marijuana legal in Canada

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CANADA – The use and sale of recreational marijuana became legal Wednesday, making Canada the second nation behind Uruguay to legalize cannabis. The Cannabis Act, as it is called, was passed by the Canadian House of Common in Nov 2017 and then by its Senate in June 2018, and approved that month. Recreational cannabis became legal midnight October 17 and, according to news reports, there were shops and buyers ready and waiting. Heathen Robert Rudachyk, who lives in Saskatchewan and has been involved in local government for years, told The Wild Hunt: “It is long past time. Whether you choose to smoke it or not is and has always been a matter of personal choice.

Canada

Witch starter kit hits mainstream; angers modern Witches

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TWH – Starter kits and themed boxes filled with consumable goodies are a popular trend in our online shopping world. Whether it be man crates, beauty subscription boxes, or organizer starter kits from the Container Store, you can buy almost anything pulled together in neatly packaged box that makes the experience of shopping more like the experience of receiving a gift. Now included in that list of pre-packaged consumable goodies is the a starter witch kit produced by fragrance company Pinrose to be sold at Sephora stores. According to one report at Glossy, Pinrose owners believe in the power of mysticism to enhance the enjoyment of their products. “Each fragrance is matched with a tarot card based on its notes, which allows a person to get to know a fragrance one-on-one and establish an emotional connection with it, ” Pinrose CEO Erika Shumante reportedly said.